I’m traveling on a short family trip to Chicago this weekend, and I did want to report back that, yes, I made time for a pen-related excursion to two excellent stationery stores, Anderson Pens Chicago and Atlas Stationers. Anderson Pens Chicago is the Chicago outpost of Appleton, Wisconsin-based Anderson Pens, run by longtime friends and pen enthusiasts Lisa and Brian Anderson. Pre-pandemic, I had been planning a trip to both the Chicago and Appleton stores, but the world changed and the Chicago location was forced to close due to their location in the Palmer House Hilton (which was also closed). I was happy to learn that the Chicago store is now reopened and Lisa was in for the day so I was able to stop by and visit for an hour or so! Anderson Pens carries the full line of Sailor pens and Sailor Ink Studio Inks (which I stocked up on), as well as a wide array of other brands.
Both Anderson Pens Chicago and Atlas Stationers feature a massive selection of fountain pen ink. Shown here is Atlas Stationers’ “ink aisle.”
Atlas Stationers is another longtime, family-owned Chicago stationery retailer (est. 1939!) that’s only recently become more involved in the fountain pen scene, including attending pen shows. I ducked in on Friday afternoon shortly before closing, so unfortunately I didn’t have a lot of time to look around, but I did manage to pick up some new inks from the Laban “Greek Mythology” line, as well as a sample set of the Ferris Wheel Press “Bookshoppe” Collection Ink Charger Set.
Next time you’re in Chicago - and certainly if you live in the area - you owe it to yourself to visit both of these stores. I’ll be making follow-up visits in the future, when I’ll have a chance to do more thorough photography and I don’t have the time constraints of a family trip. I love to support independent stationery retailers, and I have a section on the website where I archive past reviews and recaps of in-person visits to retailers.
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